Mobile phone mania on the roads goes unchecked and there is no end in sight!
Today morning while waiting at the Habsiguda x roads signal,
I heard a gentleman speaking loudly beside me, I assumed he was talking to his
pillion, and turned to the side to see he was on his phone, giving instructions to a
plumber about some leaking pipeline in his house.
Guess, it’s summer and every
drop of water saved helps! But was it necessary to engage in a conversation in
the middle of the road while riding a two-wheeler? Even as the signals turned
green, he continued to chatter with scant respect for the traffic rules or the morning
rush of vehicles all around.
Talking or texting on a mobile phone while driving a vehicle
is dangerous, but that doesn't stop most Hyderabadis from doing so. Every day I
see dozens of two-wheeler and four wheeler drivers talking on phone while
driving. While the car drivers use innovative ways to talk on speaker phone or Bluetooth
enabled car loud speakers, it’s the two-wheeler drivers who are blatant in
their abuse of the law.
Most riders drive with their head tilted precariously
balancing the phones between their ear and the shoulder even as they manoeuvre
their bike oblivious to the zig zag path they take, putting both themselves and
the others on the road to danger. There are those who slide the mobile
phone in their helmets, enough to block the ear from hearing anything other
than their callers’ voices and the incessant honking on the roads falls on deaf
ears. Then there are those who use handsfree earphones or Bluetooth devices to speak
on phone or hear to loud music on the go.
What does the law say?
Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, prescribes a
fine of between Rs 100 and Rs 300 for using mobile phone while driving. If such
an action causes inconvenience or pose a hazard to road users, the fine is
Rs. 1,000 and the compounding fee is Rs 500. In fact, the police have even
started imposing a fine of Rs 2,000 for causing inconvenience or driving rashly
while on phone, but the malady is unending.
The use of cell phones while driving is rampant and the
accidents that are caused due to the distracted driving is also on the rise.
But who cares? Looks like the world would end if the call is not taken or the
drive is not completed in time without halting for two minutes to finish the conversation.
Though the penal provision for talking on the phone while
driving is harsh, it has so far failed to work as a deterrent. This is perhaps
due to the traffic police's poor prosecution record. Only a handful of
motorists are challaned for the offence, while thousands go scot free every day.
A complaint on Twitter tagging the Hyderabad Traffic Police
and the City police elicited no response from the law enforcement. Guess, they
are feeling the summer heat and cooling themselves turning a blind eye to the
happenings on the roads.
The obsession of mobile phones has increased in the past
decade and the smart phones have only made the humans dumb. Senseless usage is perilous and strict measures taken up on a war footing by the police is the only way to end this ever growing mania!
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Pics Courtesy
Biker with white helmet - Clicked by me today (01.05.2019) at Habsiguda, Hyderabad.
Rest: Internet
1 comment:
Modern life plague. Well observed, well written. Any possible solutions?
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